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Media Create Sales: Week 15, 2014 (Apr 07 - Apr 13)

SmokyDave

Member
Is it supposed to be impressive that the Vita (a system with less than a fifth of the 3DS's install base in the country) managed to outsell the 3DS for a week?
You wouldn't understand without a little historical context.

Ah, the week before Fire Emblem: Awakening released, with some conservative opini....

Wait, that's not what you're getting at, is it Smokey? :)
;)

I'm just saying it's interesting to look back!
 

redcrayon

Member
You wouldn't understand without a little historical context.


;)

I'm just saying it's interesting to look back!
I hear ya matey.

I've mentioned this before but I cringe when I think about what I predicted for the WiiU, something along the lines of 'tablet, Mario, MonHun, Pikmin and Dragon Quest, what could possibly go wrong' XD
 

cw_sasuke

If all DLC came tied to $13 figurines, I'd consider all DLC to be free
Nintendo has done a really poor job of showing consumers their long term plan for the 3ds. Right now there is very little for people to be excited about and even less to draw in new consumers.

The 3ds needs a new model, a price cut on current models, and a player's choice 3ds game line.

True - they need to announce and show bigger games for end of 2014 and even 2015. Its time to get the people excited again - where is the next big Monster Hunter type title besides MH4U ? 3rd Party dev collaborations like Sony is doing with Freedom Wars or Soul Sacrifice are missing, new sexy IPs to get people exciting again.

They are loosing momentum with their laid back style. Vita against 4DS might be very interesting depending how the next two years turn out. If Vita can maintain its place, which is likely it`ll compete with Nintendos upcoming handheld.
 
Checking a bit more, these aren't great FW sales for a mainline SRW

Code:
[PS1]	Super Robot Wars Alpha				434.934
[PS1]	Super Robot Wars Alpha Gaiden			377.237
[PS2]	Super Robot Wars Alpha 2			330.559
[PS2]	Super Robot Wars Alpha 3			471.393

[PS2]	Super Robot Wars Z				360.824
[PS2]	Super Robot Wars Z: Special Disc		 29.436
[PSP]	Dai-2-Ji Super Robot Wars Z: Hakai-hen 		307.019
[PSP] 	Dai-2-Ji Super Robot Wars Z: Saisei-hen 	265.439
[b][PS3] 	3rd Super Robot Wars Z: Jigoku-Hen 		142.433
[PSV] 	3rd Super Robot Wars Z: Jigoku-Hen 		128.236[/b]
 

cafemomo

Member
Good news about Vita. I can't believe it's beating 3DS in JPN. It's like I've entered a alternate universe or something. Very weird.

It's not weird at all. Expect this to happen more since the 3DS lineup this year is barren sans a few bright spots here and there
 
Checking a bit more, these aren't great FW sales for a mainline SRW

Code:
[PS1]	Super Robot Wars Alpha				434.934
[PS1]	Super Robot Wars Alpha Gaiden			377.237
[PS2]	Super Robot Wars Alpha 2			330.559
[PS2]	Super Robot Wars Alpha 3			471.393

[PS2]	Super Robot Wars Z				360.824
[PS2]	Super Robot Wars Z: Special Disc		 29.436
[PSP]	Dai-2-Ji Super Robot Wars Z: Hakai-hen 		307.019
[PSP] 	Dai-2-Ji Super Robot Wars Z: Saisei-hen 	265.439
[b][PS3] 	3rd Super Robot Wars Z: Jigoku-Hen 		142.433
[PSV] 	3rd Super Robot Wars Z: Jigoku-Hen 		128.236[/b]

Alpha series was much more hyped and games took years to release. The Z series are pumped out faster and recycle most of it's content to save development time and costs. Also there's another instalment of SRWZ3 next year to end the Z series, so I wouldn't exactly say the series is doing that bad when they're going to reuse most of the stuff they made this game for the next one.
 

Rolf NB

Member
Couple things:
It's not "the market as a whole" that is dying. Total hardware YTDs are slightly up compared to week 15 in the past few years. It's more that Nintendo systems are declining a bit faster than Sony systems can pick up the slack. Any perceived hardware market contraction is fully on Nintendo.
Of course PS4 launch plays a big role to hardware being up overall. But this is not an unnatural event. A successor to the PS3 was simply due.

I fully expect the Vita to remain ahead in specs when Nintendo releases a 3DS successor. Those could be golden years for the platform.
 

SmokyDave

Member
I hear ya matey.

I've mentioned this before but I cringe when I think about what I predicted for the WiiU, something along the lines of 'tablet, Mario, MonHun, Pikmin and Dragon Quest, what could possibly go wrong' XD
Heh, I said that once the Mario Index hit 1.0, the Wii U would sell like crazy.

Hmmm.
 

cw_sasuke

If all DLC came tied to $13 figurines, I'd consider all DLC to be free
I fully expect the Vita to remain ahead in specs when Nintendo releases a 3DS successor. Those could be golden years for the platform.

I really doubt that - Nintendo would need to go out of their way to deliver a weaker handheld for 2016. But i agree that the hardware difference wont be enough blow anyone away compared to current mobile games or Vita games, which means they`ll share a bunch of games.
 

SmokyDave

Member
I really doubt that - Nintendo would need to go out of their way to deliver a weaker handheld for 2016. But i agree that the hardware difference wont be enough blow anyone away compared to current mobile games or Vita games, which means they`ll share a bunch of games.
Déjà Wii U.
 

redcrayon

Member
I really doubt that - Nintendo would need to go out of their way to deliver a weaker handheld for 2016. But i agree that the hardware difference wont be enough blow anyone away compared to current mobile games or Vita games, which means they`ll share a bunch of games.
That's a good point, what happens in Japan if Sony don't release another portable and the 3DS successor matches it in specs, it's not something we've seen before in portables, could be interesting in terms of third party development and being another nail in the coffin of home consoles.
 
Couple things:
It's not "the market as a whole" that is dying. Total hardware YTDs are slightly up compared to week 15 in the past few years. It's more that Nintendo systems are declining a bit faster than Sony systems can pick up the slack. Any perceived hardware market contraction is fully on Nintendo.
Of course PS4 launch plays a big role to hardware being up overall. But this is not an unnatural event. A successor to the PS3 was simply due.

I fully expect the Vita to remain ahead in specs when Nintendo releases a 3DS successor. Those could be golden years for the platform.

That is not true. A few weeks ago they posted the charts on hardware and software. The hardware revenue dropped more than 50% since 2007. The contraction is obviously not steep YOY, but constant.

Now the "console-wars warriors" are too occupied with "beast mode", "champion", "the other console is dead", "lol", but a few years later they will realize the truth, when they do a simple math and see that 3DS+PSV LTD will be around 50% of DS+PSP and Wii U + PS4 + X1 probably will be even lower than 50% of Wii + PS3 + X360.
 

Kysen

Member
Namco bandai single-handedly keeping the Vita alive in Japan. So many releases from them right when Vita has needed them most.
 

Busaiku

Member
3DS has some good big games in the 2nd half.
Yokai Watch, Super Smash Bros, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, Taiko, and maybe Yoshi's New Island (if the negative reception from overseas hasn't hurt it).

But outside of those, there's little else.
Senran Kagura 2 and Bravely Second are good smaller titles, but compared to even PS3, it's sorely lacking.

What's more, most of those games (Taiko, Yokai Watch, Super Smash Bros, Senran Kagura 2, and Yoshi's New Island will all be around July through August.
From then on, there's nothing till Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, in October, and nothing then after that (yet).
 
That is not true. A few weeks ago they posted the charts on hardware and software. The hardware revenue dropped more than 50% since 2007. The contraction is obviously not steep YOY, but constant.

Now the "console-wars warriors" are too occupied with "beast mode", "champio a few years later, when people do a simple math and see that 3DS+PSV LTD will be around 50% of DS+PSP and Wii U + PS4 + X1 probably will be even lower than 50% of Wii + PS3 + X360.

Are you honestly suggesting that the majority of posters in Media Create threads don't think the Japanese dedicated gaming console market is dying? Really?

Does every post have to be about the general death of the market when its fairly well accepted at this point?
 
Is it supposed to be impressive that the Vita (a system with less than a fifth of the 3DS's install base in the country) managed to outsell the 3DS for a week?
Yeah because the underdog prevails for a week
and potentially more who knows lolz
. It represents some kind of pyrrhic victory :p

And all this talk about Vita being some meaningful competitor to a potential 3DS successor (of which we know nothing about) strikes me as incredibly premature. Hinges too much on wild assumptions that favour the longevity of the Vita which I don't feel is warranted based on what we currently know. The Vita is still posting middling numbers (both hardware and software) at best.
 

watershed

Banned
Couple things:
It's not "the market as a whole" that is dying. Total hardware YTDs are slightly up compared to week 15 in the past few years. It's more that Nintendo systems are declining a bit faster than Sony systems can pick up the slack. Any perceived hardware market contraction is fully on Nintendo.
Of course PS4 launch plays a big role to hardware being up overall. But this is not an unnatural event. A successor to the PS3 was simply due.

I fully expect the Vita to remain ahead in specs when Nintendo releases a 3DS successor. Those could be golden years for the platform.
You need to look at the numbers for the past several years to see the videogame market contraction. It is real.
 
Are you honestly suggesting that the majority of posters in Media Create threads don't think the Japanese dedicated gaming console market is dying? Really?

Does every post have to be about the general death of the market when its fairly well accepted at this point?

Are you honestly saying that my post said that the majority of posters in Media Create threads don't think the Japanese dedicated gaming console market is dying??
 
Are you honestly saying that my post said that the majority of posters in Media Create threads don't think the Japanese dedicated gaming console market is dying??

Considering the previous remarks in this thread about the posts you were complaining about being rampant, I thought it was a fairly likely assumption. Regardless you are generalizing those posters who are intrigued by the changes in sales trajectory of certain consoles at certain times and are simply and clearly responding in hyperbolic sarcastic manner then assuming those responses somehow indicates that these posters believe the market isn't dying.
 
Alpha series was much more hyped and games took years to release. The Z series are pumped out faster and recycle most of it's content to save development time and costs. Also there's another instalment of SRWZ3 next year to end the Z series, so I wouldn't exactly say the series is doing that bad when they're going to reuse most of the stuff they made this game for the next one.

Oh yeah, I have no doubt this venture will be amply profitable for Bamco, particularly if you factor in DLC. I'm just pointing out mainline sales seem to be declining. Plus, some corner cutting is pretty apparent on this one and that might hurt the sales of Tengoku hen whenever it releases.

Edit: the glass half full part is that I don't see Bamco abandoning Playstation platforms anytime soon as they're just tapping out a bit more that shrinking base.
 
RE: the "beast mode" and "vita champion" comments:

Personally, I skip the first page of ever Media Create threads because it's usually full of real or sarcastic fanboys babbling about their first emotional reactions. It's stupid and dull to me, but it usually dies out quickly enough. Some weeks it lingers more than others, especially if substanceless posters like SmokeyDave are egged on.

Considering the previous remarks in this thread about the posts you were complaining about being rampant, I thought it was a fairly likely assumption. Regardless you are generalizing those posters who are intrigued by the changes in sales trajectory of certain consoles at certain times and are simply and clearly responding in hyperbolic sarcastic manner then assuming those responses somehow indicates that these posters believe the market isn't dying.

Given the context, I think that you're being more critical than is necessary.
 
Oh yeah, I have no doubt this venture will be amply profitable for Bamco, particularly if you factor in DLC. I'm just pointing out mainline sales seem to be declining. Plus, some corner cutting is pretty apparent on this one and that might hurt the sales of Tengoku hen whenever it releases.

Edit: the glass half full part is that I don't see Bamco abandoning Playstation platforms anytime soon as they're just tapping out a bit more that shrinking base.

Well, mecha series as a whole has declined widely in popularity compared to 10-20 years ago which could be the main reason. Also the fact that they reused a lot of content meant that people who used to be excited for new animations for a new series in a SRW series would be greeted with the same thing they've seen in the previous games. If Banpresto can revamp everyone's animations for Tengokuhen, it would make people very excited in the series again.
 

Mory Dunz

Member
The Vita is "replacing the 3DS"?

And can compete with the 3DS's successor? Which would be around 2016ish? How could that happen....when it's not even competing with the 3DS?


okay, it seems both sides may have completely lost it. ;)
Fun to see though.
 

hongcha

Member
I wonder if 3DS owners are starting to buy a Vita.

I'm sure there is some of that. But I think the bigger driving force is more and more PSP owners upgrading to a Vita, a trend that should increase (in Japan only) as the PSP/Vita cross-releases fade away soon.
 

Chris1964

Sales-Age Genius
3DS has some good big games in the 2nd half.
Yokai Watch, Super Smash Bros, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, Taiko, and maybe Yoshi's New Island (if the negative reception from overseas hasn't hurt it).

But outside of those, there's little else.
Senran Kagura 2 and Bravely Second are good smaller titles, but compared to even PS3, it's sorely lacking.

What's more, most of those games (Taiko, Yokai Watch, Super Smash Bros, Senran Kagura 2, and Yoshi's New Island will all be around July through August.
From then on, there's nothing till Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, in October, and nothing then after that (yet).

2 of these 3DS titles were announced last weeks and I don't see what's so amazing with PS3 lineup.
 
RE: the "beast mode" and "vita champion" comments:

Personally, I skip the first page of ever Media Create threads because it's usually full of real or sarcastic fanboys babbling about their first emotional reactions. It's stupid and dull to me, but it usually dies out quickly enough. Some weeks it lingers more than others, especially if substanceless posters like SmokeyDave are egged on.

Given the context, I think that you're being more critical than is necessary.

Personally I think the majority of posts in that vein are among so many other posts on Gaf that are made in jest and while adding no real substance do not then hold weight about said posters long-held belief about the state of the japanese console industry of all things.

I mean things like "Vita is champ" exudes sarcasm all things considered and while there may be a small faction of those posting such things that actually mean "Vita is going to make up that 12+M install base now" [Someones probably crazy enough to think that], I have trouble understanding why people can't see that while those posts hold little substance they are in fact in jest
 

Mory Dunz

Member
I fully expect the Vita to remain ahead in specs when Nintendo releases a 3DS successor. Those could be golden years for the platform.

I could easily see this too. I don't expect Nintendo to have a a graphical showcase for the next handheld. I could see it being equal to the Vita I guess...


I wonder if 3DS owners are starting to buy a Vita.

I actually wonder what PSP owners have been buying....if anything.
 

sörine

Banned
I could easily see this too. I don't expect Nintendo to have a a graphical showcase for the next handheld. I could see it being equal to the Vita I guess...
I'd expect similar performance but more advanced effects out of the box. Like PSP and 3DS basically.
 
Personally I think the majority of posts in that vein are among so many other posts on Gaf that are made in jest and while adding no real substance do not then hold weight about said posters long-held belief about the state of the japanese console industry of all things.

I mean things like "Vita is champ" exudes sarcasm all things considered and while there may be a small faction of those posting such things that actually mean "Vita is going to make up that 12+M install base now" [Someones probably crazy enough to think that], I have trouble understanding why people can't see that while those posts hold little substance they are in fact in jest

Just because it's made in jest or obviously sarcasm doesn't mean they aren't incredibly stupid and a waste of time. Hell, the entire first page could be covered in trollface memes and I wouldn't see the difference.

EDIT: I see, I think I misunderstood.
 
Just because it's made in jest or obviously sarcasm doesn't mean they aren't incredibly stupid and a waste of time. Hell, the entire first page could be covered in trollface memes and I wouldn't see the difference.

Right and that's my point. It is in essence just trolling and holds little worth in what people even those people think of the future of the japanese console industry
 
Considering the previous remarks in this thread about the posts you were complaining about being rampant, I thought it was a fairly likely assumption. Regardless you are generalizing those posters who are intrigued by the changes in sales trajectory of certain consoles at certain times and are simply and clearly responding in hyperbolic sarcastic manner then assuming those responses somehow indicates that these posters believe the market isn't dying.

Many posters believe the market isn't dying, at least as fast as it is.

We see every week discussion on what Nintendo must do in order to make 3DS sell more than in the previous years.

We had seen posters saying that Vita needed something like MH to emulate PSP trajectory.

We had seen members implying that bad Wii U numbers were solely because it sucked and that PS4 would destroy it, surely selling more than PS3.

We see people saying that 3DS drop is just people migrating to Vita and PS4.

And we have seen users arguing for a new Nintendo handheld as soon as possible to counter the 3DS drop, when it is evident that just releasing a new hardware hasn't worked for Vita, Wii U and PS4.

We have many examples of people who don't believe the biggest problem of each console is that the market is shrinking. They use the seasonal fluctuations to argue that the problem is not with all the consoles, just with some. And "console-war warriors" attribute the cause to the fact that the hardware from the other company sucks.

I never said that it is the majority of people who don't believe the market is collapsing considerably, but it is obvious that some users believe it is particular problem of a few systems.

Or at least they make it look like that, since they try to make analysis of the market and predictions over one or a few weeks numbers instead of considering months or years. People ask for reasons for every minor sales spike of a system in a downward trend. People create baselines and make it look like if a certain system drops to a certain number, it is doomed, otherwise it is not. All those posts make it look like they don't think there is a problem with the whole Japanese market, but a specific problem of one system.
 
One of my complaints regarding 3DS' current 3rd-party line-up is that it's got sequelitis.

MH4G, Bravely Second, Senran Kagura 2, Taiko 3DS 2, Yo-Kai Watch 2, Dragon Ball Heroes: Ultimate Mission 2, etc.

Would I complain normally? No, but the problem is the virtual lack of different IPs not seen before on 3DS. Persona Q and Forbidden Magna being only two examples I can think of.

I remember back in 2010 and 2011 3DS was full of such awesome variety of different IPs, even a lot of them never got a second go on 3DS since the earliest days.

For example:

Super Monkey Ball
Street Fighter
BlazBlue
A traditional Tales (Reve Unitia is a pleasant surprise even if it's a mobile port)
Ace Combat
Ridge Racer
Dead or Alive
MGS
Tekken

Those aside from Tales are the traditional JP IPs of decent note that have only gotten one entry on 3DS, and all were no later than early 2012 I believe.

I know I just complained about sequels and then just said "where are the sequels to these?". :p But it's a balance of both; there's a lot of sequels right now, and hardly unique stuff on 3DS to look forward to, maybe if we knew both were happening that'd be just fine. And at least the list of games I showed are pretty old.
 
We have many examples of people who don't believe the biggest problem of each console is that the market is shrinking. They use the seasonal fluctuations to argue that the problem is not with all the consoles, just with some. And "console-war warriors" attribute the cause to the fact that the hardware from the other company sucks.

I would've thought it was generally a software argument about why one system was down etc. as hardware doesn't change but I see what you mean here

I never said that it is the majority of people who don't believe the market is collapsing considerably, but it is obvious that some users believe it is particular problem of a few systems.

Or at least they make it look like that, since they try to make analysis of the market and predictions over one or a few weeks numbers instead of considering months or years. People ask for reasons for every minor sales spike of a system in a downward trend. People create baselines and make it look like if a certain system drops to a certain number, it is doomed, otherwise it is not. All those posts make it look like they don't think there is a problem with the whole Japanese market, but a specific problem of one system.

I suppose the difference is I view many of those opinions more as a view of how to either slow or pause the clear decline of the Japanese console industry. I.E. if somehow the 4DS does really well and has a bunch of well-loved IP's and support or whatever that it might be able to offset the complete death of the console industry in Japan for 2 more years, not some long-term solution.

I do think I probably responded a little too aggressively and apologize for that
 

AniHawk

Member
kirby's gotta be one of the most consistent franchises out there. it seems to sell right about half a million with every release (sometimes more).
 

SmokyDave

Member
RE: the "beast mode" and "vita champion" comments:

Personally, I skip the first page of ever Media Create threads because it's usually full of real or sarcastic fanboys babbling about their first emotional reactions. It's stupid and dull to me, but it usually dies out quickly enough. Some weeks it lingers more than others, especially if substanceless posters like SmokeyDave are egged on.
Kind of ironic given that you just wasted a paragraph telling people about what you don't read.

Lets just hope they dont spend another fortune on useless gimmicks. Cant wait to see what their next handheld will look like.
I just want 'em to get the screen to stick ratio right for once.
 
I would've thought it was generally a software argument about why one system was down etc. as hardware doesn't change but I see what you mean here



I suppose the difference is I view many of those opinions more as a view of how to either slow or pause the clear decline of the Japanese console industry. I.E. if somehow the 4DS does really well and has a bunch of well-loved IP's and support or whatever that it might be able to offset the complete death of the console industry in Japan for 2 more years, not some long-term solution.

I do think I probably responded a little too aggressively and apologize for that

Don't worry, as long as we understand each other, no hard feelings.
 
Their next handheld should have better "portability".

I understand that battery tech sucks and all but damn 3hrs is too short. And make it easier to hold with one hand.
 
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